Lois Utz facts for kids

Lois Utz (born Lois Cook) was an American author, artist, and poet. She was born on January 4, 1932, in Paterson, New Jersey, and passed away on November 12, 1986. Lois Utz was especially known for her wonderful children's books. She wrote and drew pictures for these books.

Early Life and Education

Lois Utz lived most of her life in Little Falls, New Jersey. She loved art and studied Fine Arts at the Art Students League of New York. There, she earned a special degree called an Associate degree.

A Creative Career Begins

Lois Utz was very creative. She wrote a poetry column for a newspaper called the Paterson Morning Call. Her poems also appeared in many books across the country. She married Donald Utz in 1957. They had a daughter named Heidi in 1962. Lois Utz also showed her paintings and collages in art shows. A collage is a piece of art made by gluing different materials like paper or fabric onto a surface.

Lois Utz Originals

Lois Utz started her own business called Lois Utz Originals. Through this business, she made and sold many unique collage artworks. She also worked with a classical composer named Richard Lane. She wrote the words, or lyrics, for many of his songs. Some of these songs were even for children!

Helping Others

Lois Utz cared deeply about helping people. She volunteered her time to support people who needed help with their mental health. She even wrote several novels about her experiences helping others. Later in her life, she went back to school. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. Then, she got a Master of Arts degree in counseling. After her studies, she worked as a therapist, helping people until she passed away in 1986.

Children's Books

Lois Utz began writing children's books in 1972. Her books are famous for their fun and imaginative style. She often drew whimsical, or playful, animals. Her stories were usually told in rhyme, which made them fun to read aloud. She also used her collage skills in her illustrations. This made her book pictures very unique and interesting.

Published Works

Here are some of the children's books Lois Utz wrote and illustrated:

• The Pineapple Duck with the Peppermint Bill (1968)
• A Delightful Day with Bella Ballet (1972)
• The Houndstooth Check (1972)
• The Simple Pink Bubble That Ended the Trouble with Jonathan Hubble (1972)
• The King, the Queen, and the Lima Bean (1974)

Other Writings

Lois Utz also wrote other books that were not published. These included:

• Tara's Sister (a young adult novel)
• Parenthesis Twenty-Five (a collection of poems)